Baby Shower Dessert Ideas

Over the years both bridal and baby showers have greatly changed from two hour, all female parties to “drop by” events that often include the bride’s groom or the expectant mother’s husband. Also during these years, people have become much more weight conscious. We need to take these things into consideration when hosting a baby shower for an expectant mother or couple.

The “drop by” shower came about as a means of allowing those who were invited but lead very busy lives a chance to briefly stop in during the shower without being embarrassed. However, many in the forty and up age group find this type of shower very offensive. One way to appease everyone is to have spectacular food presentation tables and make our guests feel welcome to stay as long as they like during the hours of the shower.

Fruit is always an excellent dessert item and affords those who are watching their calories and fat grams a chance to eat lighter. Creating a striking centerpiece for the dessert table is very easy to do by making a baby buggy from an enlongated shaped watermelon to hold melon balls and assorted fruit. It is best to create the buggy the day of the shower. However, you can create and refrigerate it overnight but do not add your fresh fruit until time for the shower.

BABY BUGGY

INGREDIENTS:

1 Large watermelon

2 Large red grapefruit

Grapes

Strawberries

Honeydew melon

Canteloupe

ITEMS NEEDED:

10 inch strip of wide lace

Glue Gun

4 Ten inch wood skewers

Scissors

2 T-pins

Masking tape

Sharp knives

DIRECTIONS:

* To make perfectly straight lines, use masking tape to create the size of large rectangle you need to cut in the middle of the top of the watermelon. The longer sides of the rectangle need to be lenghtwise of the watermelon. This will represent the place you place the baby in the buggy and will be where the fruit is placed. If the watermelon is approximately 17 inches long, make a 6 inch long rectangle beginning approximately 5 inches from the largest end of the melon.

* Cut the rectangle out of the melon with a sharp kitchen knife. Trim the excess watermelon that came along with the rind in the process away from the rind and place the watermelon in a clean container.

* Mask off a small rectangle in the middle of the piece you have cut away. This smaller rectangle needs to run lengthwise with the longer sides of the piece you are cutting it from. Begin about 2 inches from one end and stop approximately one inch from the other end. Set the finished piece aside.

* Scoop out the remaining watermelon with a melon baller into a large, clean bowl or container with lid.

* The skewers will be your tire axles. Run one skewer through the watermelon about 2 inches from the bottom just barely ahead of the front end of the rectangle you cut out. This needs to be on the larger end of the melon. Repeat on the other side of the watermelon with a second skewer. Run the third skewer through the watermelon about 2 inches from the bottom and just barely behind the other end of the rectangle. Repeat on the other side with the fourth skewer.

* Turn the rectangle you cut from the melon so that the green portion of the rind is facing the front end of the melon. The end of the rectangle with the 2 inches of rind above the smaller rectangle in the center needs to be in the upward position. Attach the handle to the buggy by running the 2 T-pins through the lower part of the rind of the handle into the rind of the buggy where the rectangle was cut out. The handle attaches at the back end of the buggy’s rectangle.

* Wipe any juice off the rind of the buggy and handle with a clean, damp cloth. Dry with a paper towel.

* Hold the piece of lace over the front end of the buggy’s rectangle and cut to the same width as the rectangle. Carefully hot glue the lace in place so the lower edge of the lace protrudes a little over the cut of the rectangle.

* Cut the 2 grapefruits in half and attach to the skewers as buggy wheels with the cut portions outward by running the skewers through the center of the grapefruit halves.

* Wash and prepare the other fruits, including making melon balls from the honeydew and canteloupe. Gently mix the fruits together and place inside the buggy.

Partially chocolate covered strawberries are a very pretty and appetizing dessert. They are quite easy to create. Wash and drain the straberries but do not cap them. Use only perfect berries. While they are draining, melt the chocolate. Dip between 2/3 -3/4 of the cold berry into the chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip before placing the berry on waxed paper.

Other baby shower desserts can be made by picking up baby themed chocolate candy molds and lolipop molds at a party shop. Bears and hearts are cute for a baby shower. Pour melted chocolate into the molds and allow to cool. For the lolipops, fill the mold partially with chocolate. Insert the lolipop and finish filling the mold. Baby themed cookie cutters are also available at party shops and make cute sugar cookies. Homemade butter mints in pink or blue make a great dessert table presentation and do not forget the cake. You can give the cake equal billing to the fruit filled baby buggy by centering both at an angle in the middle of the table.

If the husband will be present at the baby shower, tone down the cake decorations since you will already be using the baby buggy. The cake could be baked in the husband’s favorite flavor.

Create beautiful tables with desirable food and be sure to have an empty table or two for gifts. Warmly greet the guests and everyone should have a great time.